B.C.’s legislative committee to review midterm timber supply

Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun05.17.2012

VICTORIA — B.C. lawmakers formed a special committee Wednesday to examine the issue of midterm timber supply. “The issue of midterm timber supply is of vital importance to not only the communities in the mountain pine beetle infested area, but to the province as a whole, given the importance of forestry as a key economic driver,” Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said in a news release.

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VICTORIA — B.C. lawmakers formed a special committee Wednesday to examine the issue of midterm timber supply.

“The issue of midterm timber supply is of vital importance to not only the communities in the mountain pine beetle infested area, but to the province as a whole, given the importance of forestry as a key economic driver,” Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said in a news release.

“I’m pleased that it is a special legislative committee that will meet government’s commitment to public engagement on this issue.”

The mountain pine beetle has already killed an estimated 710 million cubic metres of timber.

The committee, which will report back in mid-August, is made up of four Liberal MLAs and three New Democrats.

On Wednesday, two of the NDP MLAs wrote Thomson saying they believe the work of the committee is “critical” but expressed concerns about the specific approach.

“The terms of reference are too narrow in scope and will fail to address the broad spectrum of serious concerns,” said the letter, written by forest critic Norm Macdonald and deputy forest critic Bill Routley.

The two NDP critics said the committee should also look at addressing the issue of job stability in pine beetle impacted areas, create a more accurate timber inventory and develop a plan to improve forest health in pine beetle regions.

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